Trapped
by Icura
Summary: Forced to crossdress as a woman for a scheme, Keitaro will have to deal with this unwanted ordeal and the consequences it brings. Fortunately, nobody seems to be able to see through his beautiful disguise...
1. Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: Trapped

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Author's Note: This story, if it has any romance, will be with a straight pairing (male/female).

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"No way, I'm not going to do that!"

"You can't refuse. I got you those tickets. For free too."

Keitaro grimaced. As much as he hated to admit it, Haitani was right. He owed him a lot but, this wasn't a simple request. It was one thing to ask him to bake a Valentine day dummy chocolate cake, but it was another to request that it be delivered directly to him while…while...

"I'm not doing it. Ask for something else."

Haitani shook his head furiously. "If I back out now, Shirai will win. I can't lose this bet."

"How about I ask one of the girls?"

Haitani rubbed the temple of his nose. "Keitaro, Shirai already knows about them. He'll know it's fake."

"Keitaro scratched the back of his head. "I guess you'll have to think of something else."

"Four hundred."

"What?"

"You owe me four hundred dollars. Will it be cash or check?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Keitaro's face was glowing red with embarrassment as he stared at himself in the full-length mirror. Haitani's apartment was small, but it was surprisingly clean and well-organized. However, that wasn't his main concern right now. What caught his attention was the person that stared back in the reflection.

She was a simply bewitching. Smooth skin and long black hair that cascaded down her shoulders gave her the appearance of a Japanese enchantress. She wore a loose light blue shirt along with dark blue jeans. Even with the large, square glasses, she was impressively pretty, as if she was a model in some high-end magazine. This would have been a good thing had it not been for the fact that she was actually a _man_.

Haitani came up behind Keitaro. "Mh, mh." He nodded his head as he placed his hand on his chin. "Impressive work if I do say so myself. My hard work paid off."

"Haitani, why do you have make-up and how did you know how to use it?"

Haitani laughed. "These things impress girls, right?"

"It does?"

"No, not really. The reactions weren't…positive."

Keitaro stared blankly at him. "Then how were you able to practice this if none of them liked it?"

"This was before I told any girls. I used some mannequins I got from work. Well, I also did some on myself, but that didn't work out so well." Haitani scratched his nose. "But you looked so feminine and you even had smooth skin like a girl so it was much easier.""I see…" Keitaro's expression darkened. "I'm not really manly, am I?"

"Ah!" Haitani had quickly noticed the sudden tension. "Don't get me wrong. You're dating that Naru girl so this shouldn't matter, right?"

Keitaro blushed, though his face did lighten up. "N-No, I'm not dating her."

"Really? Huh. I thought you were."

"No." Keitaro looked away a bit. "I like her, but I don't think she likes me."

"Well, cheer up." Haitani slapped Keitaro's back playfully. "There's more fish in the sea."

Keitaro put on a fake smile, but Haitani immediately saw through it.

"Let's go over the battle plan then," Haitani said to change the subject.

Keitaro nodded.

"While you're dressed as a girl, your name is…Keitaro-ko?"

"That's horrible."

"Keitaro. Kei." Haitani tapped his chin. "What about Keiko?"

Keitaro blinked. "That can work."

"Alright, you'll now be Keiko Urashima, no, Urashi," Haitani said as he racked his brain. "But you prefer to be called…Kei. By having a nickname too, it won't be suspicious if you don't respond correctly to either name. You can just say that you're used to being called the other name."

"I'm…Keiko Urashi."

"Remember, keep referring to yourself as female. Like how actors do it. Think like a girl, otherwise you'll make a mistake." Haitani rubbed his head as he tried to think of what else to address.

"Okay." Keitaro slowly nodded.

"This is serious, Keitaro. If you screw it up, I'm going to make you…make you…" Haitani pointed his finger at his friend. "Kiss Shinobu. On the lips. In a crowded public area too!"

Keitaro paled. "Isn't that a crime?"

Haitani's jaw dropped. "You can't be that dumb. Stop acting stupid!"

"I don't want to go to jail!"

"You won't go to jail for that."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, maybe."

"I don't want to, I don't want to!"

"Then just don't screw up." Haitani rubbed his head. He could feel a headache coming on.

"Can't you give me a different punishment?"

"No. Just listen to my instructions and you'll do fine."

Keitaro slowly nodded with tears in the corner of his eyes. "Are you sure you can't change it?"

"I'm sure."

"Really, really sure?"

"Shut up and listen. Make sure to occasionally brush your hand through your hair. It's a habit some girls do, but it will allow you to check and adjust the wig if it is loose without looking out of place."

Keitaro nodded again as his mind processed the information.

"This will take the whole day. First, you'll give me the chocolate after cram class ends and then we will head out on a 'date'. But after we leave the building, we're done. We'll just go home."

"What if he figures out who I am?"

Haitani shrugged his shoulders. "Then you better ask if Shinobu is free on the weekend."

"Ack!"

"I'll need you to get used to acting female so it won't happen in the first place. Let's start now. Walk towards me." He backed away to make some space between him and Keitaro.

Keitaro raised an eyebrow, but he did as asked. He walked over to Haitani.

"No, no, no! Like this." Haitani sauntered over to the mirror in an elegant style that really did not fit his image at all.

Keitaro nodded his head and walked over to Haitani in a gait that seemed more suited to a tranquilized horse.

Haitani closed his eyes in irritation. "We'll just say that you're a bit of a tomboy."

Keitaro walked away from Haitani, though still in that horrible movement style.

"You can walk normally, Keitaro."

"Thank goodness." Keitaro moaned in relief and stretched his legs. "That was tiring."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was." Haitani said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "Anyways, let's move on. While your voice is naturally higher pitch so it can come off as female, I think you should still practice. Say 'I love sushi.'"

"I…love sushi."

"Raise your voice."

"I love sushi."

"Not like that. It sounds too much like a falsetto voice. Like this: _I love sushi_."

"I love sushi."

"Better. Again."

"I love sushi."

"Good. Just need a bit higher."

"_I love sushi_."

Haitani smiled and raised his thumb up. "That sounds about right. Now try saying something else."

"I ate pork last night."

Haitani's smile became strained. "Looks like we're going to have to practice more." This was going was going to be a long day.

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"This is the third day and you still can't do it?"

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"No, that's wrong…again!"

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"How many days has it been? If you can't learn something like this, why are you applying for Tokyo University? You should have just gone to the same university as me and Shirai."

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"I did it? I did it! I did it!"

"Good. Now start practicing the next lesson, because you're bad at everything else."

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Keitaro wobbled through the doorway of the darkened Hinata dormitory. It was almost midnight. Everyone was probably asleep already. He had earlier put their worries about his lateness to rest by telling them that he had gotten a temporary part-time job to pay for some of the repairs.

The dorm manager sighed, pressing his back against the wall. He didn't like lying to his tenets, but telling them the truth of the situation was much worse. He could imagine the looks that they would give him and the trips on air-express that he would have to take for being a cross-dressing pervert. But at least, it paid off somewhat. He was as ready as he'll ever be for Valentine day tomorrow. There was only one thing left; he still needed to make the chocolate cake.

Slapping his cheeks to keep himself awake, Keitaro said, "Just a couple more hours and then I can get some rest." Breathing in deeply, he strode purposely towards the kitchen.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Keitaro leaned his back against the wall opposite to the classroom door as he waited to be done. No, that was wrong. As _she_ waited for Haitani's class to finally be done. While dressed like this, she had to refer to herself as a female even in her mind. Haitani said that this would keep both personalities divided and allow her to make fewer mistakes. Hopefully. Sighing softly, Keitaro—or rather, Kei—spoke to herself in a whisper.

"My name is Keiko Urashi." Kei bowed to the empty space in front of her. "But you can call me Kei." She grinned. It was perfect. All she had to do now was repeat it exactly like that.

Kei's grin quickly fell off her face. What exactly was she happy about? That she was imitating a girl better? If any of the girls at the dorm found out about this, he wasn't going to get away with a simple scolding. The mere thought of Naru's fist and Motoko's sword made him shiver in fright. Just because she had a high endurance didn't mean that it felt good!

Well, there was that time when...no, no! She promised herself that she would never think about that ever again. It _never_ happened. Putting the thought out of her mind, Kei looked up…

…to find people already filtering out of the classroom. Some of them were even standing in the hallway, staring curiously at her. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks. T-They were staring at her, but they seemed to think that she's a girl. Somehow…somehow…

It felt really, really _good_.

Gah! What was she thinking? Knocking the knuckles of her fist against the side of her head, she tried to bash out the thoughts as she rushed past the students and entered the room.

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"Another sad Valentine day, isn't it, Haitani?" Shirai said, waving around a pencil as he stood next to Haitani's desk.

Haitani slouched over, letting his cheek touch the desk. "I'm sure someone will come."

Shirai shrugged his shoulder noncommittally. "You're way too optimistic. It'll be the same as every year. We'll just go home and—" He froze.

"Go home and what?"

"Haitani, look up."

Haitani turned his head so that he could see. In front of him was a very pretty girl with long black hair who held a box in front of her. Right on time.

"M-My name is K-Keiko Urai—I mean Keiko Urashi! Kei tried bowing, but she almost stumbled halfway through it. "B-But you can call me Kei-Kei! S-Sempai, please take this." Kei held out the box towards Haitani as she blushed furiously, though that completely from the embarrassment of doing this whole act. The rest of the people in the classroom were watching the spectacle, some with disbelief or jealousy while others with joyous curiosity.

Haitani scratched his head with one hand and accepted the box with the other. "Ah, thank you…Kei-Kei…" He opened up the box, which revealed a glamorous cake that would have been worth quite a bit of money if it were sold in a store.

"Ah! I mean, just Kei is fine. Sempai, I-I really l-like you. Please go on a date with me!" The last bit was practically yelled out in a fast talk. Kei bowed her head again as her cheeks reddened even more. Even though she felt like she did it badly, the people that were still in the classroom found it amusing and endearing at the same time.

Haitani slowly closed the box. "Um, that's…um…yes, sure, I'll go."

"W-When?"

"Now is good. Now is fine!"

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"Do you think he bought it?" Kei breathed out a sigh of relief as they walked out of the building. The wind felt really cool against her flushed face. She actually did it. Successfully too. The tension and stress that she had drained out of her body like a popped water balloon, leaving her feeling a little dizzy.

Haitani shrugged. "Probably. It's just Shirai."

Kei's happiness disappeared when she glanced back towards the building. "Then why is he following us."

Haitani froze. "Are you sure?" He turned around, and sure enough, Shirai was hiding in one of the nearby bushes near the entrance. Or at least he was trying to. Most of his bulky body was actually larger than the plants he was trying to surround himself with.

"He doesn't seem to notice that we're staring straight at him."

"Stop looking at him." The two turned away.

"What do we do now?"

Haitani sighed. "I guess we're going on a 'date' then."

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"You know, if you got a sex-change operation, nobody would ever be able to tell the difference."

Kei spat out her tea. "W-What?" Most of the drink was now on the table and Haitani but some of it dripped down her chin.

"Smile, smile. He may still be watching." Haitani said as he casually wiped his face with a napkin and sipped his tea. At a far table in the corner, Shirai was peeking at them over an opened menu.

However, Kei kept frowning. "Why did we have to go here?" They were currently seated at a table inside a tea shop. It wouldn't have mattered if it was any other tea shop, but this one was owned and operated by his aunt Haruka. Kei's eyes kept shifting towards his relative who was currently waiting on another table. She shook with fright at the thought of being recognized by her aunt.

"Shirai is attracted to Haruka so he might become distracted by her, letting us have an opportunity to slip away."

"I still don't like this."

"Your disguise is perfect. Just make sure you hold the tea cup with both hands and stick out your pinky to use it as a cushion so that when you place the cup on the table, it doesn't make a sound."

"Can we leave now?"

"Are you listening to me?" Haitani shook his head in exasperation. "Calm down before you ruin it."

Kei shrugged off the comment. "I am calm. I just need to use the restroom." She stood up from the table. Before she could take a step, Haitani grabbed her wrist.

"Women's."

"What?"

"Use the women's restroom."

"Ah ha, I knew that." To be honest, Kei had completely forgotten about that. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't." The thought of going into the women's restroom made him suddenly not want to go at all.

"You need to use it so go. Just remember to…sit down and you should be fine." Haitani smirked.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Don't worry. I'll cheer you on from here."

"Right…" Kei moved from her seat into the aisle, but her mind was too occupied that she didn't notice the waitress until it was too late. She fell back as she bumped into the waitress.

"Ah…ah…it hurts." The waitress was clutching her ankle. The hot teapot that she was held was lying on its side, its content spilled over the ground and employee's pants and shoes.

Haruka rushed over. "What happened?"

"It was an accident. I bumped into her and we fell down." Kei bowed low. "I'm so sorry!"

Haruka frowned as she inspected the waitress's ankle. "Call an ambulance. Now."

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Keitaro felt bad. Really bad. It was an accident so he allowed to leave soon afterwards, but that didn't put the event out of his mind. Even the chocolates that he had gotten from the girls later that night didn't ease up the feelings of guilt over putting that waitress in the hospital.

"Augh." Keitaro scratched harshly at his scalp. He couldn't sleep like this. Pushing himself up to his feet, he made his way to the doorway and left his room. The hallway outside was quiet and almost too dark to see through, but that suited him just fine. Brushing his hand along the walls, he felt his way through the darkness and down the stairs. It was very late, but he needed to do this.

He eventually made his way over the phone on the first floor and dialed in a number. Bringing the receiver up to his ear, he patiently waited as he heard the click of someone answering the phone.

"Hello?"

"Aunt Haruka?"

"Keitaro? Why are you calling so late? It's nearly midnight."

"Umm." Keitaro licked his dry lips. "I heard about what happened at the shop earlier today. Is she fine?"

There was a small pause before Haruka finally asked, "How do you know that?"

"Some—some people were talking about it near the inn."

"I see." There was another small pause. "She had some third degree burns on her legs and her ankle was broken."

Keitaro clutched the phone tighter. "Will she be alright?"

"It'll take at least a month to heal."

"What's going to happen to the shop?"

"She was my only employee, but since I'm paying for her medical bills, I can't afford to find a replacement. I will manage by myself."

"What if I help out?"

"You're busy with your job as the manager. The girls won't appreciate me taking you away."

"I'm sure they'll understand."

There was a slight pause. "Keitaro, you have been to my shop a few times. Have you ever noticed any female customers?"

Keitaro thought back, but he could only remember a few in all his visits. "Some."

"But not much. Most of my customers are male patrons so they won't appreciate a waiter. I know you're trying to help, but there is nothing you can do."

"What if I help out in the back?"

"Stop it, Keitaro." Haruka yawned. "Now, let me go back to sleep." A click could be hard on the other end of the line.

Keitaro stood there, holding the receiver up even though the only sound coming from it was the dial tone. Slowly, he placed the phone down. Even though there was nothing he could do as Keitaro, maybe there was something he could do as Keiko.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Please help me!" Keitaro said, bowing his head.

"I got it, I got it," Haitani said, rubbing the side of his head as he stood in the doorway to his apartment. "Just get in here already before you attract the neighbor's attention." He moved to the side to let Keitaro in.

Keitaro nodded his head gratefully and entered the apartment. The inside was actually a lot messier than he remembered it being with empty bags and crumbs littering the place. There were even piles of unwashed clothes slung here and there.

"What happened here?"

"Can you lower your voice?" Haitani rubbed his forehead. "Well, last night, I got drunk off of Shirai's paycheck and I got back here somehow. I don't remember much what happened here last night."

"I see." Keitaro slowly nodded his head. He could fill in the gaps, and it wasn't pretty.

"I don't know about Shirai, but I still have a hangover."

"So that's what you won from the bet?"

Haitani smirked. "That's just one of my winnings. Now what can I do for you?"

"Teach me how to put on make-up and crossdress."

"Huh?"

Keitaro's face burned with a heavy blush. "I want you to teach me how to dress up as a girl."

Haitani raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated being a girl."

"There…there's a reason I have to!" Keitaro's eyes lit up with determination.

Haitani scratched his hair. "You know, what I said about a sex-change was just a joke…"

"That's not it!"

Haitani looked confused for a moment before a suspicious grin appeared. "You plan to peep on the girls at the dorm. Oh, what a wonderful manager you are!"

"That's not it either!"

"Then what?"

"I need to work as a…waitress."

"Huh? Ah, you're feeling guilty about your Aunt's tea shop? That's so like you. But what does this have to do with…" Comprehension lit up Haitani's eyes. "Oh. Oh! A waitress, not a waiter. I see it now." He placed his hand on his chin.

"See what?" Keitaro asked nervously.

Haitani put both of his hands on Keitaro's shoulders. "You're such a good nephew."

"Actually, I'm not really her nephew."

"Hm?"

"It's complicated." Keitaro took a deep breath as he slowly thought how to explain it. "She was originally my cousin, but when she got adopted by Grandma Hina after her parents died, she was relisted as his aunt."

"Ah huh. I suppose that makes sense. Sort of."

"Anyways, you understand my situation?"

"Not at all," Haitani said with a shrug, but when he saw Keitaro's shoulders sag, he continued. "But I'll help you out anyways. My head hurts, but I think you can follow instructions well. Oh wait, that didn't work out well last time."

"I will do better this time!"

"Agh. Alright, alright, just stop yelling. Ow, my head…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"No, no, no, no. This is all wrong." Snatching up the brush out of Keitaro's hand, Haitani waved it in front of the dorm manager's face. "This is just plain horrible."

"I tried…" Keitaro said, though his now clown-like face made the statement seemed ludicrous.

"Wash off your face and try again. Use the cleanser."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"It's…it's done." The sunset shone through the windows, bathing the room in its orange glow. Haitani looked even more worn out than before, something that had seemed impossible before.

"I did it," Kei said, staring into the face of Keiko who stared back in the reflection. She had finally learned how to do it.

"Congratulations. However, one day is only enough to know how to apply make-up to yourself. Don't try to change the methods too much for now."

Kei touched the face of the reflection in the mirror. "I did it." The words came out slowly, but with them was a sense of accomplishment.

"You seem pretty happy for someone that hates this."

Kei furiously shook her head. "No, I'm not happy. At all," she said, even though there was a smile plastered on her face.

"Right…I believe you…" Haitani checked his watch. "It's getting pretty late."

Kei spun to face Haitani. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven."

Kei's face paled. "The store is going to close soon. I have to hurry!"

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It was a hard day at work. Haruka fumbled with the keys as she struggled through her exhaustion. She had only one worker for financial reasons, but that past decision was something that she was now regretting. However, the store was never really that popular to warrant more employees. She had thought about hiring a temporary worker, but it would take a while to find one. It seemed unnecessary at first, though now that she had gone through an entire workday by herself, she knew that she needed some help.

First thing tomorrow, she'll make an ad and put it up. Placing the key into the door knob, she turned it and locked the store. With that done, she took out a cigarette and lit it. However, her enjoyment was prematurely interrupted. Hearing rushing footsteps behind her and the sound of heavy breathing, she took out the cigarette from her lips and turned around to find that it was the girl from yesterday.

Kei was bent over and holding her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Haruka couldn't hold back the deepening of her frown. She placed the lit cigarette into her mouth and took a deep breath.

"The shop is closed."

"Please…"

"Hm?"

"Please let me work here!"


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2: Working

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Author's note: When Keitaro is disguised as Kei, I will refer to Kei with female pronouns (she, her, etc.).

Like I said in the first chapter's author's note, if this does have romance, it will be a straight pairing. Why I repeat this again? Uhhhhh, I can't answer that.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kei tripped and fell heavily against the tiled floor. "Agh!" Slowly, she pushed herself up from the floor. Her body was aching in response, but that wasn't what concerned her. The tray that she had been carrying had fallen to the ground along with the metal teapot which spilled its contents over the flooring of the tea shop.

Haruka sighed as she walked over, holding an unlit cigarette between her teeth. "If a customer was drinking tea, you would have ruined the atmosphere and made a mess." For a moment, she was about to give a helping hand to her new assistant but decided against that. "You should be glad that teapot only had water in it. Now wipe it up." She dropped a rag, letting it float slowly to the floor in front of Kei before walking away to continue the morning preparations.

Kei quietly rose to a kneeling position and righted the teapot so it would stop pouring out water. Tearfully, she took the rag and started to wipe the water off the floor. This was the third time that she had failed at carrying a tray. If she couldn't do something as simple as this, what was the point of trying to work here?

Kei shook her head fervently to get rid of that thought. She had caused this whole mess in the first place so she had to try to make it up. However, there was a condition to working here. A trial period of a week. If she couldn't get through one single day, then it was over. She had to be resolute and determined to succeed. But even as she thought that to herself, it was much harder to actually do it. However, she knew that she wouldn't give up until the end. The Hinata dorm taught her at least that much. To succeed was to face her failures and keep trying.

Finishing up the cleaning, Kei picked up the tray and teapot. Breathing in the slightly stale air in the tea shop, she felt herself being renewed. There was about half an hour before the store opened and she was determined to make full use of it. With that, she headed for the kitchen to refill her teapot but not before opening the windows to clear out the air.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Haruka flipped the sign on the front door from closed to open and switched on the lights for the electronic sign. "Keiko, you will be serving the customers. I will be behind the counter, making tea for the orders."

"Ah, okay." Kei was fingering with the edges of her skirt. "Um, you can call me Kei."

"Keiko, stop playing with your uniform."

Kei released her skirt. She had changed into a waitress uniform only a few minutes ago so it was still disorienting. On her upper body was a white dress shirt with white lace along the middle and edges of her sleeves. On top of that was a black vest with only a single button to attach both sides near the bottom, over her abdomen. A short skirt adorned her lower body, ending just above her knees. If she had thought about this earlier, she would have remembered that the other employee that worked here also wore a skirt and this situation wouldn't have been a problem.

If only Kei had remembered. If somebody actually peaked under her skirt, they would know that she was wearing boxers. She could have wore shorts instead, but this was a tea shop, right? It wasn't like this was a dessert shop in Akihabara where there was a risk of having customers try to take up-skirt photos.

A deep sigh escaped her throat. That reminded her. She touched her throat. Good. Unlike her friends and most male people that she knew, her Adam's apple was not really visible and she could barely feel it unless she pressed hard against her throat. Nobody should be able to find out if she makes no big mistakes, but that still put a lot of pressure on her. And she has to do her job on top of that. The clinking of the bell that hung above the door woke her out of her thoughts.

"W-Welcome!" Kei bowed her head.

The slightly balding businessman bowed his own head slightly in response.

"This way, please." Kei led the man to a nearby table and placed a menu on top of it. "I'll be back when you're ready to order."

The businessman seated himself at the table, but he didn't bother to open the menu. "Wait. I'm ready now."

Kei blinked in surprise, but she quickly recovered. "Ah, how may I take your order?"

"Did you just start working here?" He folded up his hands in front of him and gave her a smile.

Kei was confused for a moment; the question had caught her off-guard. Hesitantly, she nodded her head.

"Indeed. I would have remembered someone as pretty as you."

"Ah…well, that's…um…" Kei started to sweat. What was she supposed to do now? She wasn't expecting something like this!

"Good?"

"Ah, yes."

"I think it's good too." He reached out and touched Kei's hand, but blinked in surprise at what he felt.

Kei quickly snatched her hand back.

"Your hand…is rough. You must have been through a lot. Poor girl. You must be such a hardworker."

"S-Sir, your order p-please."

The businessman laughed. "Alright. You're such an innocent girl, aren't you? Anyways, I'll have a cup of Earl Grey with a teaspoon of honey."

"Y-Yes, sir. I'll be right back with your order." Kei quickly stepped away and walked back towards the counter in a swift but stiff walk. Haruka was boiling some hot water in the automatic water heater. The cigarette in the older woman's mouth was gone. Upon Kei's approach, she smirked.

"You handle yourself well there."

Kei shook her head to get her thoughts straight. "Um, one cup of Earl Grey."

Haruka nodded, taking out a teapot and dropped some tea leaves from a nearby box inside. She brought the teapot under the water heater and pressed a bottom on top of the machine, letting it squirt out a stream of boiling hot water. Once that was done, she close the teapot and placed it on a tray along with a white ceramic cup.

"Thank you." Kei bowed her head slightly and took the tray.

"Don't bother thanking me. Just make sure you don't trip."

Kei nodded and turned around. Taking a deep breath, she began her approach, but she noticed something. The business was busy watching her every step which was something that made her become even more…no, no, she wasn't nervous. She tried to steady the shaking tray.

Step by step. One foot at a time.

With this strange walk, Kei made her way over to the customer. Even the businessman looked nervous as she served him his tea with shaky hands. Once the teapot and cup was set on the table, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

The businessman took the pot and poured a small stream of tea into his cup before taking a sip. "You forgot the honey."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir!" Kei bowed her head deeply but just as she was about to turn around, the man stopped her.

"Oh no, it's fine. You seem to be working hard on your first day. Just remember it for next time."

Kei nodded happily. "I will!"

"By the way, can you ask her boss to come over here. I want to speak to her for a moment."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The sun had already gone down by the time that Haruka closed the shop. She was currently busy rapidly pressing the buttons on an accounting calculator. Out of the top end, a long roll of slim kept pouring out, joining the coiled, snake-like mess of its paper predecessor on table. Sitting nervously in a chair in front of the table was Kei, who was fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Um—"

"One second." Haruka held up her other hand as she finished typing in some numbers before she looked up. "What is it?"

Kei rubbed the tips of her fingers together. "Did I do well?"

Haruka stared at his blankly. "You broke five cups, dented a teapot so much that it's unsightly, and spilled tea over the floor for…I have lost count." She threw up her arms in exasperation. "Do you realize how many times I had to remake the same orders over and over again because of your mistakes?"

Kei winced at the tirade and meekly said, "No."

"You had broken enough that it is double—no, triple your salary for the day."

"I'm sorry!" Kei bowed her head.

"Sorry won't cut it. I had to apologize to the customers many times today because of you." Haruka placed her fingers on the side of her temple. "However, they like you."

Kei blinked in surprise. "W-What?"

"I had more than a few of my more veteran patrons give some suggestions." Haruka leaned back in her chair and took out a small box of cigarettes. "I think I may have something more suited for you."

"Ah, yes!" Kei bowed her head again.

"Stop that. Just come at the same time tomorrow morning."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"No! I don't want to do that."

"It's the best job for you."

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't!"

Haruka held up a hanger with a one piece bikini that had been transformed into a custom maid uniform. "It will look nice on you."

Kei shook her head fervently. "Can't I wear something…less revealing?" There was no way she could wear that. If she even attempted to, the bulge would definitely give her away as being male. She had to stop this at all cost.

Haruka shook her head and sighed exaggeratedly. "You're not an official employee of mine. You begged to work here without registering with the government. I could get into a lot of trouble if you turn out to be an illegal immigrant. But if that's your decision…" She moved to dump the clothing into the trash.

"Wait!"

Haruka smirked. "Hmm?"

A shadow appeared over Kei's face. "I…I will do it."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Even though Kei had said that she would do it only just a few minutes ago, that had been out of impulse. Now, stuck in the women's restroom stall with the maid bikini in her hands, she had an all-consuming desire to run. There was absolutely no way that this can work out. If she puts it on, then everything would be over, but it will be the same result if she doesn't. The only thing that she could do was run. Well, maybe if she applied a little tape…

No, no! What was she even thinking? Even if she did that, there was no guarantee that it would hold. And besides, it would hurt! Not only that, but she never even shaved her pubic hairs so that would definitely stick out of the bottom of the bikini. Why would she shave it in the first place? She wasn't a girl. Nodding her head, Kei felt much more resolute about her decision. She will just march out there and tell her aunt that she would not wear it. Maybe she could convince Haruka to give her simply an extra workload instead.

"You can do it. What's the worse that she can do?"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Kei had tears coming in the corner of her eyes as she stood once again in the restroom stall with the maid bikini in her hands. That didn't work out so well. The amount of extra work that Haruka said in exchange for not wearing the uniform…it would practically take up the whole day for each workday! Not only that, but she would probably have to come by on the weekend. That's just way too much for one person.

She looked forlornly down at her pants; she wore shorts underneath in preparation for waitressing, having learned her lesson from yesterday. But how could she have predicted her aunt's sudden and strange decision? Well, she should have figured it out by the way the customers were looking at her, but she was too distracted to notice…most of it.

As determined as Kei was to help out her aunt, there was no future in this. She had to escape, but how?

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Keitaro slowly peeked out from the door of the women's restroom. The coast was clear. He didn't see Haruka anywhere. She must be in the storeroom in the back. He crept out of the restroom. He had washed off all of the make-up and taken off his wig. His shirt was flipped inside out and he had taken off his pants to use the shorts he had hidden underneath. He hid the wig in the pants and folded it in a bundle which he stuck under his shirt, making him seem bulkier than normal.

The front door was usually locked before opening time, but Keitaro knew that it was always unlocked from the inside. If he could just make it there without being seen, he would be home free. Taking a deep breath, he quickly strode over to the door, skillfully dodging the tables in an almost unnatural manner. He had to make every second count!

"Keitaro? What are you doing here?" Haruka came out of the backroom holding a large cardboard box.

Keitaro's hand was hovering over the handle of the door. He was so close! Turning around, he gave his aunt a large, fake smile. "Ah, Haruka—I mean Aunt Haruka. I, uh, came to see you."

Haruka placed the box onto a nearby table. "How did you get in? The door is locked."

"A-A girl let me in. She told me to tell you that she had to leave because…something came up. A family matter."

Haruka frowned, but said nothing.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence that made Keitaro sweat, he said, "About my visit…"

"What is it?"

"I, uh, need to borrow some money for repairs."

Haruka stared at Keitaro. "I don't have any money to spare at the moment."

"Ah, I see. Well, I better get going." Keitaro turned around to open the door.

"Keitaro."

Keitaro froze. Did she figure him out?

"Your shirt is inside out."

Keitaro turned around and laughed nervously. "Stupid me." He stuck out his tongue in a goofy manner and playfully hit the side of his head. "I was in a rush this morning. I'll talk to you later. Bye." Turning around quickly, he pushed open the door and rushed out in the sounds of the morning.

Haruka watched her nephew's departure and sighed. Keitaro wasn't what she was worried about. What was she going to do about her wayward employee? The only reason she even considered keeping that inept worker around was because she was willing to work at a salary rate that was way below most prospective employees.

Even though Keiko had only worked for one day, Haruka believed herself to be an accurate judge of character, an instinct that was cultivated during her dangerous archeology trips in her earlier years. Those days were filled with backstabbers and traitors that only thought of their selfishness and greed. So she trusted her instincts when they said that the girl was just the opposite. Keiko was hard working, and maybe smart, even though she seemed unusually clumsy and rather useless at first. Still, it might be more of a hassle than it was worth.

But she was willing to let it go just this once.

However, there was one thing that was odd. When Keitaro came in and Keiko left, she didn't hear the bell ring above the door which should have been audible even in the backroom.

Haruka shrugged her shoulders. She will just have to check the bell later.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Keitaro was sitting in his room. Most of the household was still asleep so he was able to sneak in with relative ease. Well, relative ease for him which meant knocking over a couple of things. He had changed out of his clothing into something more loose.

But could he simply leave it like this? His aunt should be opening the store now. If he wanted to go back, he should have gone before the tea shop opened, but now it was too late. He couldn't simply walk back in there and expect nothing to happen. Haruka can manage the store alone for a day, right?

Keitaro fell back onto the floor, putting his arms behind his head. Who was he kidding? He was afraid. That was the only reason he didn't go back.

And he hated himself for realizing that.

Slowly, he raised his head, as if lifting himself from the filth of the floor. Rising to the skies, he wanted to be free. From worries, from stress, and from his guilt. With no hesitation, he slammed the back of his head into the floor.

And for a second, everything was clear.

Tokyo University. Everything he wanted was in there. An unreachable place for someone like him. But he had never stopped trying.

So why was he giving up on something so trivial?

It was something small, but it had meaning to him. To his being. But what made him "Keitaro Urashima"? He reached out his hand towards the ceiling, as if try to grasp something invisible.

As long as he tried his best, was there anything to regret? Did he regret putting his whole being behind the first three tries at Tokyo University?

_No_. The simple two letter word came to his mind. As if answering every single question he had, it came to the forefront of his thoughts.

No. No. No. No. No. No. _No_. _No. No. No. No._

His hands slammed on the floor as he pushed himself up. He knew what he had to do. His eyes burned with determination. In a policeman's life, one single mistake can ruin decades of impeccable perfection. This can also apply to life, but he would not allow a single regret to ruin his.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Haruka turned at the sound of the bell and saw Kei enter, already dressed in her normal waitress uniform. Kei bowed her head slightly.

"I'm sorry. I had to leave earlier because—"

"Welcome back." Kei looked up in surprise to find Haruka smiling. Slowly, she began to smile herself.

"It's good to be back."

"I have your uniform ready in the back—"

"I'm not wearing it."

"Still no? What if I give you lots of extra work to do with no extra pay?"

Kei's eyes brightened. "That would be much better!"

Haruka smirked. Now she had something even better. Free labor. "We will see how long you last."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Author's Note: I am torn on how this chapter turned out, but it lays some groundwork and preparation.


End file.
